1. This won’t be a “blog” per se. It isn’t meant to be a place to post all commentary or opinions. Everyone is invited to send in a note, but don’t be offended if it isn’t posted. There’s other sites that are perfectly content to drag through what they believe to be wrong with every issue at every turn. This is about what was done, why and where do we go from here. We won’t talk about two and three year old issues. If the desire is to engage in those discussions then look somewhere else.

2. This isn’t the Board of Commissioner forum. MJ has a City Manager form of government. The Board makes policy; the staff implements. I’ll be happy to pass your comments along to the Board, either good or bad, but the intent of this medium is to address how we could better enact policy and improve city services.

3. The narratives will be directly from me, your city manager. I won’t hide under some pseudonym or other persona. My name is Randy Robertson. My phone number is 754-2552. I am your City Manager. If your issue or concerns involves another department of the city (Public Works, Police, Animal Control, etc.) I will invite the appropriate team member to provide some comments, but it will still be done under the auspices of the City Manager.

4. I will try and be as timely as possible, but this is another one of the “additional duties” for which civil service is renown.

5. The City Staff is here for you. The desired outcome is for us to have a positive relationship with the citizens we serve, but we all know that always won’t happen. Everyone has an opinion. It is the staff’s responsibility to work through the opinions and emotion, meet the requirements of the laws and rules under which we operate, and hopefully serve the greatest number in that process. It is not an exact science. The more we have a relationship with you, the better we can meet your expectations.

6. Finally, this is about telling our story. Hopefully you will be able to sort the myth from reality or see the issue through a different set of lens. I hope you will find this of value and participate.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Update: December 2, 2010

Good Evening MJ:

We’re Number 1! We’re Number 1!

What a fantastic week. It’s a rare honor to be recognized throughout the entire state; and an even bigger treat to be recognized nation-wide; that’s just what happened this week with the announcement that MJ is the most business friendly city in Tennessee. Here’s a quote from the 1 December 2010 edition of USA Today: “Mt. Juliet - This Wilson County town was chosen the most business-friendly city in the state by the Tennessee Center for Policy Research. The annual ranking are based on job growth, crime rates, median per capita income, high school graduation rates and taxes.” Thanks to all who made this honor possible, and remember to “Shop Mt. Juliet.”

Looking for just that right gift for that hard to buy for person? Come On Down to the MJ Holiday Bazaar! This Saturday and Sunday the place to be is the Charlie Daniels Recreation Center for all your Holiday Shopping. From 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, December 4th, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, December 5th, the Mt. Juliet Recreation Center will be transformed into a festive shopping mall, with unique gifts from across the region, nation and world. Nearly 50 booths, all under one roof, with home and Christmas décor, arts & crafts, cosmetics, jewelry and fashion accessories, along with some flavorful artisan delicacies will be available for your shopping delight. Come join your friends at this once a year holiday extravaganza. As a special treat, the Murfreesboro Youth Orchestra will be on hand during several periods over the weekend to help provide the holiday spirit with yuletide melodies. Parking is close-up and free. Admission is free. See you there.

Speaking of gifts for the hard to buy for person – check out the 2011 MJ Animal Shelter calendar. They're $15.00 apiece or 8 for $100.00. All proceeds go to support the programs of the MJ Animal Shelter non-profit organization. With professional photos of successful homes found for some of our own Shelter pets, the calendars also have monthly gift coupons from Chick-fil-A and Two Rivers Ford that are worth far more than the purchase price. You can get yours at the Shelter or at the front desk of City Hall.

Remember . . . “Rudy” is Comin to Town! No, we’re not talkin about the red nosed guy with antlers, but Daniel “Rudy” Ruettinger, author and name sake of the 1993 classic movie “Rudy.” Rudy and his Notre Dame team mate, Ross Browner, who went on to a decade of NFL play time, will be the Grand Marshals for our 2010 MJ Christmas Parade. The parade will start at 11:00 a.m., on Saturday, 11 December. The route starts at West Wilson Middle School, and goes north along Mt. Juliet Road to the end point at the intersection of Division Road. Talk of “Rudy” coming to MJ has created quite a stir, and we’re projecting great crowds, so grab a spot along the route early. He’ll be staying after the parade at the review stand to sign autographs.

Notice the progress along NMJR? Things are really starting to shape up. With that in mind, during this holiday season, please consider merchants along the road when doing your holiday shopping; they need your support and are offering some great deals.

On a final note, we want to send a fond farewell to Mr. Gary Branham, our Chief Codes and Building Inspector, as he retires the end of this month. Gary has seen MJ transform from a town ten years ago with a population of around 12k to a full services city on nearly 30k now. He’s been at the forefront of developments ranging from Providence and Del Webb, to Paddock and Coolview Commons. In many respects, he’s had a thankless job, but through it all he continues to smile and serve our community to the best of his ability. We wish Mr. and Mrs. Branham the very best in this new phase of life and thank him for his service.

My next edition will be the “Team’s“ Christmas letter to the community.

Take care and God Bless.

R. Robertson
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)